(Apologies to Anna and Sepia Mutiny for ripping off the title, but it was hard to resist the temptation)


J&K political poster-boy, Omar Abdullah, has a problem with our grandmotherly President brandishing an AK47 assault rifle and looking rather chuffed about it. Or so the press seems to be ranting, though I quite fail to see the brouhaha over it.

Look at it this way:

1. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian armed forces (it says so, right there in our Constitution). When was the last time someone pulled up their C-in-C for posing with a gun? I mean, it’s not like she’s mowing down people with it.

2. Our last Prez was a rocket scientist (pun not intended). There’s good reason why he was called the ‘Missile Man of India’, and it sure as hell wasn’t being nice to homeless kids (though he did more than his share in that department). Don’t recall anyone being particularly unhappy that he was as interested in weapons development as he was in socio-economic development.

3. The Prez has a big grin on her face in the gun photo. So? Wouldn’t you be too, if you got to pose with a for-real assault rifle in your hands? It’s a generally geeky moment, for which most normal people would pose and grin like idiots. She may be President, but she’s only human, so stop honking.

4. There might be a hidden message in the pic – “I can bake pies, but I can shoot your nuts off too, so don’t fuck with us”. And, yes, it does bring to mind scenes from ‘Stop or my Mom will Shoot’.

In Mr. Abdullah’s defence – I read the blog entry, and it’s more of an aside, a random thought if you will. It’s a personal blog, and therefore a personal observation, so will the media kindly stop making it sound like a grand statement made in a political rally?

10 Scallywags have walked the Plank |:

Moo said...

Man! Do you realise how close she is to really shooting someone's vital body parts off? Her index finger's curled around the trigger and everything! :O You sure there weren't any casualties? :P

On a side note, we live in a country where Aamir Khan (kisses) mentioning SRK on his blog (albeit a little below the belt) takes up HEADLINES and BREAKING NEWWWWWWWS! on TV channels. Erm...So by the same analogy, Omar Abdullah being grumpy about the President and her adventure with ammunition deserves SOME space. :P

Would you rather see Rakhi Sawant dissing Koena Mitra on National Television? :P

Mister Crowley said...

Cow, do you also realise that the ammo clip on the gun is probably empty ;P

I'd rather see Rakhi Sawant getting beheaded on nAtional television

a fan apart said...

i think the president shooting rakhi sawant with the assault rifle would be the solution acceptable to most parties because it would a) prove that our president can shoot and not just shoot her mouth b) be the end of rakhi sawant c) give aaj tak so many story ideas they could live off the incident for a year d) confuse mika into trying to kiss the president and also get shot by the same rifle

Mister Crowley said...

Fan's the Man...

Mukta Raut said...

sigh...like we didn't have enough to worry about with Lalu visiting Bombay today!

Really...where are the guns when you need them...

But you make a very valid point...it was Omar's personal observation...but I suppose public figures (especially political ones) aren't allowed to make any..any more.

Mister Crowley said...

Mukta: I beg to disagree. Lalu can't hold a candle to Rakhi Sawant in obnoxiousness ;P

ess said...

I dunno. On the one hand it seems to send a very macho message
"See, even grannies in this country have assault rifles. So watch it ya terrorist Biatch!"

On the other hand, well, that grin is plain weird. At least if she pretends to aim at something, it would make a good photo-op.

Anonymous said...

Hahhaahahhaa!!!! EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYthing is made such a big deal about in our country. GAH!!

But she looks funnnyyy :D

Also, opinions - to each his own.

Mister Crowley said...

@ Ess and Syrup: We're a country of weirdos....and I'm fecking proud o' it

S Vardhan said...

Its funny how the only time this President has been anything close to emotive (grin on face, pallu on head, finger on the trigger) she ends up looking funny and even more out of place than in Rashtrapati Bhawan.

"Granny, what big a gun you have"
- "The better to shoot the crap outta any-bloody-one, my dear"

Yes, too much is made of too little. Too much shooting from the hip on blogs these days, most celebrities dont even hire half-competent ghost writers anyway. Also in defence of Mr. Abdullah, he deserves some credit for bringing the Presidnet into the news at all, for once.